The Tbilisi City Court has ordered pre-trial detention for the former head of the Rural Development Agency, Tornike Kapanadze, as a measure of restraint. With this decision, the judge upheld the prosecution’s motion for detention, while the defense had requested his release on bail in the amount of 150,000 GEL.

According to the investigation, as determined by the Investigative Service of the Ministry of Finance, since 2019 the Rural Development Agency (a legal entity under public law) had been co-financing the purchase of agricultural equipment for individuals and sole proprietors, based on a relevant government decree.

“Between 2021 and 2024, in order to unlawfully acquire large sums of money allocated under this program, the accused [Tornike Kapanadze] was actively involved in the criminal activities of an organized group. Together with a former employee of the agency and other members of the group, he illegally appropriated large amounts of state funds using forged documents. At this stage, the damage identified by the investigation exceeds 800,000 GEL.

The detainee has been charged under Articles 180, 210, and 362 of the Criminal Code of Georgia (unlawful appropriation of another person’s property in large amounts by fraud, committed by an organized group; fabrication and use of fake tax documents in a group; fabrication and use of fake official documents). The offense is punishable by imprisonment from 7 to 10 years,” the Prosecutor’s Office stated.